Can-filling machine



(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 1.

' H. R. STIGKNEIQd.

CAN FILLING MACHINE.

No. 372,876. Patented Nov; 8, 1887.

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(No Model.) .7 5 Sheets Sheet 2. H.,R. 'STIOKNEY. 2d. CAN FILLING MACHINE. N0."372,8 7-6. Patented Nov. 8, 1887,

'(N oM odelJ 5 Sheets -Shee.t 3. H. R. STIOKNEY, 2d.

CAN FILLING MACHINE.

N0.J3-7Z,876. Patented Nov. 8, 1887.

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(No Mdel.) Sweets- Sheet 4.

' H .R. STICKNEY,.Z(1.

CAN FILLING MACHINE.

Patented Nov. 8, 1887.

N. PDERS. Phnvu-unw m lmr, Washington. D. C.

(No Model.) V

. H. R. S-TIOKNEY,'Zd.

v OAN FILLING MACHINE. No. 372,876- Patented Nov. 8, 1887.

GY QZW I 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF CE.

HENRY R. STICKNEY, 21 or PORTLAIID, MAINE.

CAN-FILLING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 372,876, dated November 8, 1887.

Application filed June 28, 1887. Serial No. 242,816. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY R. STIGKNEY, 2d, a citizen of the United States, residing at Portland, in the county of Cumberland and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oan-Filling Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to machines forfilling cans; and it consists in certain improvements on a can-fillingmachine patented to me April 5, 1887, by Letters Patent numbered 360,541, and also by Letters Patent dated March 1, 1887, and numbered 358,498, whereby the efficiency of said machine for the purpose for which it was designed is greatly increased, and certain defects which have hitherto existed in it have been removed. As formerly constructed, and as shown and described in said Letters Patent, there were several defects about said machine which impaired its usefulness to a considerable extent. In packing corn, the purpose for which the machine is particularly adapted,itis necessary to add a certain amount of water to each can to enable the corn to keep to the best advantage. This need was not considered in the construction of the original machine; and, as a consequence, it could not be used with entirely satisfactory results for this purpose. Another defect of my machine, as formerly made, was due to the fact that the corn, as it was discharged from the filling-nozzle into the can frequently spilled over the upper end of the can around its mouth, rendering it necessary to carefully wipe the top by hand preparatory to soldering on the cover. I remedy these defects by provid- 'ing a water-valve, which is operated by the impact of the upper end of one of the vibrating levers of my machine, whereby a fixed quantity of water is allowed to run into each can as it passes beneath the end of the water-,

educt pipe. I also provide an extensible or telescoping filling-nozzle, which is adapted to be extended downwardinto the top'of the can, while the charge-is being put in, and to be lifted after it has ceased. I also provide adevice for pressing in the corn or other filling material when it is heaped above the mouth of the can in the operation of filling.

My invention consists, therefore, first, of a Water-va1ve connected with an elevated source of supply and adapted to allow a fixed quantity of water to flow through and discharge into the cans as they stop beneath it; second, a telescoping nozzle connected with the outlet of the charge-chamber and arranged to extend down into the top of the can when the charge is going in and to shorten up when the charging is completed; and, third, acompressing-plug, which is made to descend into the mouth of the can after the latter has passed the filling-nozzle, whereby the corn which is heaped above the mouth is pressed into the can.

My invention is illustrated in the-accompanyingdrawings, which represent my machine or parts thereof, as patented above, with the improvements attached, which are the subject of my present invention.

Figurel is a side view of my machine, showing my attachments. Fig. 2 is a front view of same. Fig. 3 is a section through the watervalve on the line 00 a: of Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a part yertical section through the same at right anglesto Fig.3. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the water-valve. Fig. 6 is aside elevation of the corn-pressing device and adjacent parts. Fig. '7 is a part section through 3 y of Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a side view of the telescoping nozzle and adjacent parts. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the entire machine. Fig. 10 isa central vertical section lengthwise through the'chargechamber and the filling'nozzle. Fig. 11 shows detail of path-cam and adjacent parts.

In my original machine there was a hopper, 0, into which the corn was fed, having near its bottom a rotating agitator, W, which was secured to the shaft w and rotated by suitable meansI Below the hopper O was a horizontal charge chamber, R, having a semicircular cross-section and opening at the top into the hopper. A sliding cut-off plate, 0, attached at its back end to a yoke, c ,was intermittently in-' terposed between the hopperO and the charge chamber R. The chargechamber R had a plunger, P, with a plunger-rod, P, the back end of which was attached to a yoke, p,which slid back and forth on the horizontal guiderods 0 connected at their outer ends by the yoke O. The ends of the yoke 1) were con nected by means of the links h" with the upper ends of the vibrating levers Q Q, one on each side, and the yoke C was connected with the ends of similar levers, G O. The levers C O and Q Q were pivoted near their lower ends to the shaft h, and the lower ends of the two levers G C were joined together by the shaft (1, to which was journaled one end of the link a, having an anti-friction roll, nfl which moved in the groove of a path-cam, n, hung on the shaft m. Two cams, O 0 also on the shaft m, acted against the lower ends of the two levers Q Q. \Vhen the machine was in motion, the cam n, acting through the link a, moved the upper ends of levers 0 toward the front of the machine, thus slidingin the cut-off plate 0 and interposing it between the hopper and the charge-chamber. The upper ends of the levers Q Q were then moved forward by the action of the cams O 0 forcing in the plunger Pand ejecting the charge through the filling-nozzle, the cut-0E plate meanwhile remaining stationary until the charge was ejected, after which it was withdrawn, carrying back the plunger with it to repeat the operation of the machine. The cans were placed in a reservoir, R, beneath the lower end of which revolved two cams, N N, of identical shape, one directly above the other. These cams had a re entering portion, into which the cans dropped, a-portion concentric with the shaft and an eccentric portion. The cans, dropping into space formed by these re-entering parts, would thus remain still for about a half-revolution of the cams, owing to the concentric edges, and they would then be fed forward toward the filling-nozzle by the eccentric edge, thus forming a line of cans moving intermit tently beneath the fillin g-nozzle, each can pausing beneath the filling-nozzle just long enough to be filled and then moving along for a distance equal to its width.

The mechanism which I have thus far described is all appurtenant to my machine as formerly made and patented, as aforesaid, and I will now proceed to describe particularly the improvements which I have introduced. Formed on the lower end of the socket Z, which supports the can-reservor, is the ledge l, to which is bolted the water-valve A. This valve is composed of the casing, with a vertical opening the size of the water-pipe, extending its entire length, and it has near its bottom a piston-valve,A ,and above this a rotary valve, A. The piston has at one end an arm or offset, A to the extremity of which is bolted or otherwise secured the rod or stem A, which passes through the base of the casing A and has on its opposite end a bu ffer,A". The buffer A and rod A form a valve-handle by which the valve is operated. A spiral spring, A is secured by one end to the casing and by the other to the arm A and is so adjusted as to draw the piston inward, so that the arm A will rest against the casing when it is not forced in the contrary direction by theimpact of the end of the lever G. The piston has a vertical discharge-hole, a, Fig. 3, which is in line with the central opening when the piston is pushed in, as shown in Fig. 4. The rotary valve A has an opening,a ,which corresponds with the central water-passage when the valve is wide open,and it is provided at its end with a dial, A, in the form ofaquadrant. Astud, a, projects out from the casing and has on its end an index-point. Two projections,a a,one at each end of the quadrant arc of the dial, serve to limit the circumferential motion of the dial A. The upper part of the case A connects with a water-pipe, a which leads to a tank or other elevated source of supply, Q. The lower end or outlet of the valve is connected with a short piece of pipe, (1., the bottom of which is so placed as to be directly over the mouth of each can as it pauses during the intermittent feed.

The operation of this part of my device is as follows: The dial A is turned so as to open the water-passage a to a greater or less extent, according to the amount of water which it is desired to put in the cans. Figures marked on the dial near its rim are designed to indicate the extent to which the valve must be opened to give the required number of ounces of water discharged at one operation. As the end of the arm-lever 6" comes back (see Figs. 2 and 4) it strikes the buffer A and forces it in, Sliding the piston A along at the same time until its opening is in line with the central water-passage. position until the plunger has forced out the charge from the charge-chamber, and meanwhile the water runs through both valves A and A into the empty can, which has paused beneath the end of the pipe a. When the lever 0 moves back, the buffer A is released, and the spring A draws the piston back to its original position, which is indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4, thus closing the valve. It is evident that since the lower valve is wide open each time, the amount of water passed depends upon the opening in the upper valve. A scale is marked off near the edge of the dial A, which will enable the op erator to discharge any given number of ounces of water at each discharge by simply setting the dial, and this can be done while the machine is in motion. The filling-nozzle g is provided with a fixed discharge tube or nozzle, H, Figs. 7 and 8, over which fit a larger tube, H, capable of sliding up and down on the tube H, the two forming together a telescoping nozzle. The tube H is provided with trunnions h, one on each side, and each of these trunnions passes through an opening in opposite sides of the ring H which loosely surrounds the outer tube H. The lower portion of the opening through which the trunnions h pass is closed by a pintle, h, which passes through the two cars h h, forming the sides of the opening. The trunnions h fit very loosely in the opening, and have considerable lateral The lever 0 remains in this plug B play. The ring H has a stem, h, by means of which it is secured to the arbor D, which is journaled in the boxes (1 d. A spiral spring, I, is attached to the outer end of the ring H and to a projecting arm, J, situated at some point above. At the opposite end of the arbor D is the vertical arm B, pivoted loosely on the arbor, its upper end being provided with a buffer, 12 having a horizontal web, 12, containing a slit or opening to receive the spring B, the lower end of which is secured to the arbor D. A plug, B is connected with the arbor D by the arm B which is secured to the arbor. The plug B is located just the width of a can from the fillingnozzle, so that when it is depressed by the rotation of the arbor D it will enter the mouth of one of the cans. As the cans are fed along to and beneath the filling-nozzle, each one pauses beneath the discharge-nozzle a, and during this pause the end of the lever O strikes the buffer A opening the valve and allowing a suitable amount of water to fiow into the can. At the next revolution of the cams N the can is fed to the filling-nozzle, when the end of lever O strikes the buffer b and the motion is communicated to the arbor D by the spring B to depress the The tube H is depressed until it enters the top of the can, thus forming a closed passage from the filling'nozzle to the mouth of the can, and preventing any spilling of the charge. This operation takes place at theend of the stroke of the lever O, which slides in the cut off plate, and before the plunger P begins to force out the charge. When the plunger is forced in, the can is filled through the telescoping nozzle, none of the charge being able to escape over the top of the can. When the lever 0 moves back, the spring I raises the ring H and turns the arbor D backward to its first position.

It often happens that when the charge is nearly or quite sufficient to fill the can a portion of the material is heaped up at the mouth of the can. This material mustfbe pressed down and carefully wiped before the cover issoldered on. In such a case the plug 13 descending into the mouth of one can at the same time the tube H is lowered into another, presses down the heap and leaves the top of the can clean and ready for the soldering of the cover. If one of the cans gets turned bottom up, or by any chance the filling-nozzle strikes the edge of the mouth, the spring B yields to the force of the lever C, so that the parts are unharmed. The same thing happens when the plug fails to enter the mouth of the can.

It is obvious that various modifications can be made in my device while still retaining thespirit of my invention, and hence I do not confine myself to the exact construction here shown.

I claim 1. In a can-filling machine, a water-valve connected with asource of supply and having a dischargepipe for discharging water into the empty cans as they pass underneath, a valvehandle for said valve, and a spring to close said valve, in combination with a lever for operating on said handle to open said valve, and a cut-off plate operated by said lever, substantially as described.

2. In a can-filling machine, a water-valve connected with a water-supply and having-a lower main valve provided with a valve-handle and a spring to close said valve, and an upper or regulating valve having a valve-handle, whereby it may be wholly or partially opened, an outlet-pipe for discharging water, and means for opening said main valvewhen the cans pause beneath said'discharge-pipe, in combination substantially as described.

3. In a can-filling machine, a water-valve for discharging water into the empty cans, consisting of a casing having in its lower part a piston-valve and above said piston-valve a rotary valve, a buffer for said piston-valve, a

spring for closing the same, and a dial attached 'to the said rotary valve, whereby it can be opened to any desired extent, in combination with a discharge-pipe and 'means for pushing in and releasing said'buffer and thereby opening and closing said piston-valve, substantially as described.

4. In a can-filling machine, the combination of a telescoping nozzle and mechanism, substantially as described, whereby said nozzle is extended into the top of the can just before the discharge takes place and shortened justafter said discharge, substantially as described. 5. In a canfilling machine, a filling-nozzle composed of a fixed inner tube and a sliding outer tube provided with trunnions, a ring to which said outer tube is loosely hung by means ofsaid trunnions, and an arbor to which said ring is secured, having a yielding lever or buffer, in combination with a lever for operating against said buffer and depressing said nozzle, a cut-off plate also operated by said lever, and a spring for raising said ring and contracting the length of said nozzle, substantially as shown.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY R. STIGKNEY, 2D. Witnesses:

S. W. BATES, WILBUR F. LUNT. 

